Holman "Jerry" Swinney, the Strong Museum's first chief executive and one of its most important organizers, died April 24 at Kirkhaven nursing home. He was 86.
Mr. Swinney's contributions to Strong are hard to overestimate, museum leaders said. The New York City native arrived in Rochester in 1972 to lay groundwork for what would become one of America's largest children's museums.
His first task was organizing several hundred thousand objects collected by founder Margaret Woodbury Strong in her Pittsford mansion. He and other Strong staffers invented a cataloguing system still used by many museums.
He later drafted Strong's mission, recruited staff, helped design the original building at 1 Manhattan Square and worked on its first exhibits and programs. But when the museum opened in October 1982, he decided to retire.
"Jerry was a giant in the museum field," said current Strong president G. Rollie Adams. "He helped professionalize the field nationally."
Indeed, Mr. Swinney's expertise was sought nationwide. He helped establish the museum accreditation program of the American Association of Museums. That organization honored him in 1990 with its distinguished service award.
Besides Strong, Mr. Swinney served as interpretation director at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Mass.; director at the Idaho State Historical Society in Boise; and director at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, Hamilton County. He also volunteered at Rochester Museum & Science Center after his retirement.
In his leisure time, Mr. Swinney enjoyed studying the history of American firearms.
He had been a resident of Valley Manor Apartments on East Avenue from 1998 to last November, when he moved to Kirkhaven. He suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Swinney was predeceased by his wife, Virginia Haight. Survivors include their daughter, Susan Virginia of Colchester, Conn., and son John Risley of Taos, N.M.
|
